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Sunday, October 28, 2012

vegan mofo :: raw pecan "sandies," cookies for a hurricane

When life gives you hurricanes, make cookies: Raw Pecan "Sandies"

Unless you've been living a cave, you undoubtedly heard the news about the ginormous Frankenstorm making her way up the East Coast. Plus-sized Hurricane Sandy is supposed to be a weather event of epic proportions, and she is headed straight for Philadelphia, NYC and Washington DC.

Hurricane Sandy's projected path of destruction is even bigger than my cookies.

While others prepared by getting bread and soy milk, I headed straight for the liquor store. But seriously folks, in my opinion, the storm could go either way. The media has a way of sparking up mass hysteria concerning the weather. And it's interesting to witness how this frenzy acts as Viagra for the economy. I stopped at Whole Foods after my gym workout this afternoon for spinach and turned right around – the lines were longer than my unread Twitter feed. People were lined up at the gas pumps, and the parking lot at Lowe's looked like a mosaic of cars.

Pecan "Sandies"

I have a 'fridge full of pies [!], a pantry overflowing with canned beans, food for the kitties, water, flashlights, and candles. But this preparedness is not breaking news: I always have these things on hand and didn't need to run out and make a special trip. Still, I figured making some raw cookies couldn't hurt. My Raw Pecan Sandies are an homage to Mother Nature, made with pantry staples. Plus, the violent whirring of the food processor as you grind the nuts mimics the violent whirring of Hurricane Sandy.....groan.... I'm getting hyperbolic, so here's the recipe. Enjoy the cookies and be safe. And in the event of a disaster, never leave your pets behind. Make sure you have a disaster plan designed for your human and furry kids.

Raw Pecan Sandies

1 cup raw pecans

2 tsp raw agave nectar

2 tsp raw tahini or other favorite raw nut butter

Pinch of sea salt

Scraping of one vanilla bean [Optional, but wonderful]

Pinch of cinnamon [Skip if you are aiming for "authentic" sandies]

6-12 pecan pieces for decorating

Makes 6 large or 12 small cookies

Process the pecans in a food processor until very fine and the ground nut flour starts to stick to the sides.

Transfer to a medium bowl and mix with remaining ingredients.

Roll into balls and decorate each cookie with a pecan piece. Refrigerate for an hour if you prefer a firmer cookie.

Ha ha, I would probably beeline for the liquor store in the event of a hurricane... :) Luckily we never have to deal with those over here in Saskatchewan - just blizzards! But those are never quite as devastating as hurricanes can be since we have the infrastructure to deal with them. Take care!